Laying roofs.



PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

J. H. MUNRO. LAYING ROOFS. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 16, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QEE CE.

JAMES H. MUNRO, OF NEIVARK, NEIV JERSEY, ASSET-NOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN MILTON VAN ORDEN, OF NEVARK, NElV JERSEY.

LAYING ROOFS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,624, dated September 6, 1904. Application filed March 15,1904. Serial No. 198,253. (No model.)

To IL whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. MUNno, of Newark, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Laying Roofs, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like numerals on the drawings designating like parts.

In the construction of roofs having a board foundation it is customary to cover the boards with paper usually nailed thereto, and thereafter slates or other roofing members are placed upon the paper-covered foundation. This is objectionable, for the reason that the paper is difficult to lay in windy weather, must be nailed down, the expense thereby being greatly increased, and in any event its laying necessitates an additional operation to be performed over the entire roof. or a considerable portion of it before the slate islaid, and in addition to these disadvantages there is no union between the slate or the like and the boards unless nails are driven through the slates, which is objectionable. Furthermore, the paper under the influence of extreme cold is apt to shrink and tear.

The object of my present invention is to provide means by which normal expansion and contraction of the boards of the roof are provided for, permitting at the same time a layer of cement to be placed upon the boards in such a manner that it will present a large area of contact for adherence directly to the boards, forming a union between the boards and the slates or other roofing members applied to the layer of cement.

In accordance with my invention I apply to the joints of the roof a series of covering members wide enough to cover each joint at its widest, but leaving ample space in the middle of the board free from covering, a convenient proportion being to have two-thirds of each board covered and the other third uncovered. These covering members may conveniently be formed by mounting on a carrier a series of strips of ordinary roofingpaper in roll form, so that in laying it anumber of joints can be covered at the same time, or other suitable means may be adopted for carrying my invention into effect. \Vhen formed into rolls thus, the work of laying the paper, cement, and slates or the like can go on substantially concurrently without the necessity for nailing down the paper, only so much of the roll being unwound as will afford a convenient space for the application of the cement and slates and the weight of the roll preventing any trouble with the wind.

\Vhen slates are laid in cement upon a paper-covered roof on an incline, there is a constant strain or drag by the weight of the slate and cement tending to rupture and draw the paper away from its fastening to the roofingboards. My invention serves to overcome this by providing for a direct connection between the slates and the boards both through the medium of cement and by ties which I provide in my preferred form of slate, these ties being preferably embedded in the slate and secured to the roof by nails or the like, so that the individual slates are held positively in position without the necessity for nailing through them.

\Vith the use of cement over a considerable portion of the boards any leakage in the roof is localized, enabling the position of the leak to be determined readily and quickly and prompt repairs to be effected at slight expense.

The various features of my invention will be illustrated and described fully in the accompanying drawings and specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in perspective a portion of a roof in the construction of which my improvements have been embodied; Fig. 2, a view of a carrier for the covering-strip ready for application to the joints, while Fig. 3 shows a composite slate of a type adapted to bridge a number of joints and secure thereby union between the slates and boards with consequent strength, illustrating also auxiliary means for attaching the slate to the boards in addition to the cement; and Fig. a is an end elevation of part of Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale, Fig. 5 being a plan view of a modified form of roof-covering embodying my improvements.

In the embodiment of my invention selected as a convenient form to enable a ready and complete understanding of my improvements the reference-numeral 1 designates roofingboards, the. joints 2 whereof are covered by strips 3 of paper or other suitable material and a layer 1 of bituminous or other suitable cement, over all of which rest the members 5, of slate or the like, this construction permitting free expansion and contraction of the boards at the joints.

The paper strips or other covering members should be of inconside'rable thickness relatively to theoverlying layer of cement in order to permit a close union between the boards of the roof and the slates without necessitating too heavy a layer of cement, and in this respect my covering members differ from battens. These strips or any other form of covering members which may be adopted may be applied to the joints in any convenient manner, and as one such convenient form I have shown in Fig. 3 a carrier 6, comprising a rod or stick upon which a number of rolls 7 of paper in strip form are mounted at such intervals as will cause them to register with the joints in the particular roof to be covered, the rolls being preferably adjustable on the carriers for that purpose.

In laying a roof constructed in accordance with my invention the ends of the roll strip or strips may be attached to the roof by a little cement or a nail and the carrier rolled along the roof for a few feet, the strips covering the joints in the boards. Bitumen or other suitable cement may then be spread over the boards and covering-strips and slate or other roofing members applied to the cement.

I/Vhile I contemplate the use of any suitable roof-covering, I prefer to use slate and have shown a convenient form of slate in Fig. 4c, in which the slate is a composite one, formed of a foundation or backing layer 8, which need not be of a good quality, but preferably will consist of a few relatively long pieces of slate, so as to extend over a plurality of joints, a surface layer 9 of, preferably, a finer grade of slates being secured to this foundationlayer by a layer of bitumen or other suitable cement 10. This construction affords a slate as easy to lay as the ordinary slate, but lighter in weight, and allows the opportunity for a greater variety of designs in the surface layer, for the small composite pieces of slate may V be arranged at different angles, strengthening the composite slate as a whole by interrupting the lines of cleavage and presenting a very attractive appearance on account of the differing sheen of the slate under the reflection of the light from the grain of the slate in the different positions. A very fine grain of small slate may be utilized, and it may be made so thin as to be substantially free from the tendency to laminate under the effect of the sudden changes in temperature from heat layers of the slate and extending out in a position to be nailed down against the roof. In the drawings one tie, with the numeral 11, passes between the joint of two of the slate members and is bent over between the two layers of slate, while the tie 12 is carried through a hole in the slate and similarly bent over and firmly anchored or embedded between the layers, and the free end of each of the ties may be provided with a hole, as at 13 and 1 1, through which a nail may be driven,. fastening the tie to the roof.

In Fig. 5 I have shown in place of disconnected strips of paper a wider strip or breadth 15 with perforations 16, through which the cement can find access to the roofing-boards 17. This may be made in the form of a roll and applied as already described with reference to the strips. I have shown in Fig. 5 also a modification of the slate covering in which there is applied to the cement 18 over the perforated paper covering a base-layer 19 of relatively long narrow slates joined by ties 20 for convenience in handling before and at the time of laying. These are preferably laid diagonally on the roof, and similar slates can be put in by hand to fill the angles, as at 21, left between the adjacent breadths. Cement of suitable kind, bituminous or otherwise, 22, maybe placed upon the base slates and any suitable slate applied to the top, one form being shown as a composite slate comprising a layer 23 of relatively-thin slates secured by a layer 2 1 of cement, bituminous or otherwise, to a burlap or other suitable backing 25. The design of the slate may be varied, and in the instance illustrated I have shown mitered frame members 26 inclosing a set of four squares 27. An attaching-tie 28 may be provided, as already described, nailed to the roof, as illustrated.

Having described by invention thus fully and a convenient mode of carrying the same into effect, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific construction illustrated and described, nor in general otherwise than as set forth in the claims read in connection with this specification.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A roof comprising a board foundation,

covering members over the respective joints between the boards, permitting expansion and contraction of the edges of said joints but leaving the bodies of said boards exposed for adherence of cement, a layer of cement over said board foundation and covering members,

Lil

said covering members being of inconsiderable thickness relatively to said cement, and a layer of slate or similar rooting material secured to said boards through the medium of said cement, substantially as described.

2. A composite slate comprising a backing layer or base of slate, and a face layer of small slate members arranged with the grain running in different directions to interrupt the lines of cleavage in said composite slate as a whole, substantially as described.

3. A composite slate comprising a backing layer or base, and a face layer of small slate members arrangedwith the grain running in different directions to interrupt the lines of cleavage in said composite slate as a whole, substantially as described.

a. A composite slate comprising a backing or base of relatively coarse slate and a facing of slate members too thin to laminate under variations of temperature and moisture, substantially as described.

A composite slate comprising a backing or base of relatively coarse slate and a facing of slate members too thin to laminate under variations of temperature and moisture, said layers being cemented together, substantially as described.

6. A composite slate comprising a backing layer or base, a facelayer of beveled slates laid in the same plane with the close edges of the joints presented outwardly and the bevel downward and a filling intermediate said backing and face layers and filling the cavities intermediate, and formed by said beveled portions to support the fraizled edges thereof, said composite slate constituting an integral slate layer to be laid as a unit, substantially as described.

7. A. covering for roots or the like comprising a foundation of boards or similarniembers; a sheet of covering material having portions to cover respectively a plurality of the joints between said foundation members, and apertures to permit access of cement or other fastening means to said foundation; a layer of slates or like covering members overlying said sheet; and means passing through said apertures to secure said covering members to said foundation members, substantially as described.

8. A joint-protecting device for roofs or the like comprising a foraminous sheet of roofing-paper or similar material, having connecting-webs to overlie said joints, substantially as described.

9. A roof covering comprising a board foundation, an apertured covering-sheet with webs overlying said joints, a layer of slate or similar covering members, and a layer of cement intermediate said foundation and said covering members and passing through said apertures to secure said covering members to said foundation, substantially as described.

10. A covering for roofs or the like comprising a foundation, a lining of slate members thereon, and a covering-layer of composite slates having joints at an angle to the joints of said lining-slates, substantially as described.

11. A composite slate composed of a plurality of slate members forming a body portion, and a plurality of frame members surrounding and holding together said body portion, said composite slate constituting an integral slate unit to be laid as such.

12. A composite slate composed of rectangular slate members forming a body portion, and a mitered frame of slate members around said body portion, the whole constituting an integral slate layer to be laid as such.

13. A composite slate composed of rectangular slate members forming a body portion, and a mitered frame of slate members around said body portion, bituminous or other elastic cement connecting said members together, and a backing of burlap or the like secured to said members by said cement, the whole constituting an integral slate layer to be laid as such.

H. A slate lining for roofs or the like comprisinga plurality of slate members connected by cords in sections, each section to be laid as a unit, substantially as described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 8th day of March, A. D. 1904:.

' J AM ES l'l.

MUNRO. 

